Part Three

"Kiddies, I'm home…" Buffy's voice filtered down into the basement of the factory.

"Oh bloody hell!" Spike muffled as he leaped out of bed and threw on his black jeans. "Give me a bit of warning before you barge in, Slayer!" He snarled and started hunting down his shirt.

Drusilla curled up under the covers, looking idly at her nails. "Spike? Will my fingernails curl back into my hands?"

"Of course not, luv. They only do that if you pull hard enough." Spike gave up on his shirt search and took a seat at the table.

Buffy threw the door open and languidly made her way down the stairs, her hand gripping the railing tightly. "Miss me?"

"Only the prickly feeling I get on the back of my neck when you're 'ere," Spike huffed and looked at Drusilla. "Pet, I told you, your fingernails won't do that."

Drusilla's lower lip started quivering. "Daddy used to do that to mummy in front of me, right before he killed her."

"What? Ripped her fingernails out?" Spike questioned curiously.

"Spike! Have a still-beating heart!" Buffy growled and went over to Dru, sitting down by her on the bed.

"If you find one for me, sure."

Buffy shot him a glare and looked motherly at Drusilla. "Don't pay attention to him, he's a slobbery weasel."

"He decorated mummy like a Christmas tree." Drusilla said, staring up at the ceiling. "She screamed when he lit her up…"

"Hey, when's my heart coming?" Spike pouted.

"When you take the time to console your girlfriend, here."

"You're her mother," Spike smirked.

"Oh you're just so cute," Buffy rolled her eyes. "Dru, are you okay?"

"My Spike means no harm," Drusilla insisted. "Who wants tea?"

"I'm gonna get some sleep, make all the racket you want." Buffy's mischievous expression drifted to Spike, "I insist." She curled up at the head of the bed and forced her eyes close.

"What's up with 'er?" Spike rifled through his pants pocket for a cigarette lighter, you know, to light the cigarette he had between his lips.

"The Slayer," Drusilla got to her feet, the famous frail little off-white nightgown clinging to her frame. "We must find her."

"I thought she got the Slayer, Dru." Spike said while taking a puff of his cigarette.

"Yes, but she needs to learn a lesson before she faces Mum." Drusilla glided to and up the stairwell, heading off on her midnight run for the Slayer. Spike stayed behind to finish his cigarette and to find his shirt. You don't search for a Slayer shirtless -- it's improper.

--

"Halt," Marie said cautiously as she leveled the crossbow to point at Drusilla's back. Drusilla stopped and craned her neck to peer at Marie through the corner of her eye, which just made her seem creepier.

"'Ello precious," Drusilla spoke in a soft sweet voice.

"You!" Marie lowered the crossbow, her mouth gaping. "I've read on you!"

"We'll take care of you, pretty girl. Come now," Drusilla raised her right hand and curled a finger back. "I'm going to teach you a lesson, dearie."

Marie resisted for a millisecond. The crossbow fell from her grasp, and she was propelled over to Drusilla. Drusilla looked her over for a minute and focused closely into her eyes.

"Did you touch my Mum?"

"What?" Marie asked in a daze.

"She hurts from you, bad girl." Drusilla struck her across the face and growled. "She will get you, bad girls always get what's coming to them."

"I did not mean-"

"Bite your tongue," Drusilla hissed. "My mum says you will pay for what you've done. When she's better…" Drusilla made a motion of running her finger along her neck. "Promise you won't come near mum?"

Marie looked around frantically, hoping for a way out of this. "It is my duty as a Slayer to dispose of her, Miss-I cannot help this."

Drusilla growled lowly. "You can, make a choice…" She broke off suddenly and backed up, touching a hand to her forehead. "I fear she's hurting…"

"I-I must go…" Marie inched back and reached down to pick up her crossbow. "Deliver a message from me to the vampire, Buffy."

"They plague her…" Drusilla was in her own world now. "Her suffering comes with a price, dear…I won't tell her what you want, you mustn't tell me what to do…"

"Tell her for me," Marie spoke sternly. "'Zat I will be seeing her ve'y soon, per'aps tonight if necessary. We will see."

"Now, you must see her now…" Drusilla approached Marie again. "Pain sizzles through her, make it stop. Please?" She started panting. "Make it stop."

"I cannot, I must return to my Watcher miss. If you see Buffy, tell her-"

Marie's eyes flew wide open as Drusilla's vampire face flew on and she was immediately grabbing Marie's throat, focusing her yellow eyes into Marie's which eerily showed no reflection of Drusilla's presence. Marie gasped, again dropping her crossbow only breaking it this time

"My subjects don't tell me what to do, we're going to see mum now. Does the servant complain?"

Marie yelped, trying to scream for help. Drusilla tightened her grip.

"Good girl, we'll be off." She cast a carefree look around and started dragging Marie down the sidewalk with her.

Part Four

The tub was filled with clear; almost pure untainted looking water until she set foot in it. Though it was so warm, once she sat in it she shut her eyes to soak in the rejuvenating energy it gave her.

She was about near dozing off when the water suddenly started to chill, causing her to sit up with a confused look on her face. Her eyes traveled down to the water, only it wasn't water anymore. It was thick, dark red blood seeping through the drain and mixed itself with the once-pure water.

She screamed and started to reach for the edge of the tub to pull herself out, but something kept her in. She wasn't allowed to leave. Frantically she called for help when Angel burst through the door.

Relief swept over her and she reached her hand out for him. Slowly and cautiously, he approached her with his hand also outstretched. Her relief vanished from her face when a sharp pain struck her in the heart, and she began to crumble into dust…

--

Buffy jolted awake, screaming at the top of her lungs and oddly enough, hyperventilating. Guess vampires never lost the habit. Spike was there at her side actually looking concerned on Buffy's behalf…or maybe his ears?

"Buffy," Spike said. "What's wrong?"

Buffy's complexion was whiter than usual. She was completely terrified. "I…I had a nightmare."

She half-expected Spike to mock her or tease her, just to show that he didn't care what the hell ever happened to her. He proved her wrong.

"What was in it, then? Angel?"

She nodded meekly. "Yeah, Angel. He didn't trust me, I think, and I was in the mansions' bathtub--"

Spike looked up thoughtfully. "I never get dreams like tha'…"

"Shutup, Spike. The water was so clear…but it just turned into blood, and it killed me."

"The tub killed you? That's an interesting mental picture."

"No, the blood. It froze, only it was still liquid and it stopped my heart and I crumbled into dust while reaching for Angel. Is that not the funkiest dream you've ever heard?"

"No, actually I've had a stranger one. I was dressed like a chicken, and forced to sell cookies to girl scouts. Only afterwards, I pecked them up and ate them."

Buffy managed a laugh at that. "I'm still spinning on dressed like a chicken…you only said that to cheer me up, didn't you?"

"Yeah, you caught me. I'm a bad man, but it worked."

"Thanks," She glanced away from Spike and to Drusilla throwing Marie down the stairs of the mansion. "Hey, Dru."

"I've brought a gift for Mum," Drusilla said proudly and descended the stairs after Marie. "She's a bad girl, and must pay for the trouble she causes."

"I can't kill anyone like this, Dru, I'm still healing."

"Talk with her," Spike replied instead. "Or let me kill her and get 'er out of your hair already."

"We'll talk," Buffy curtly said and looked to Marie. "Come here."

Marie inched towards Buffy, keeping her defenses up just in case. "What is it?"

"You're an interesting Slayer, you know that?" Buffy started to say. "You won't last a week. Not at this rate, I'm gonna train you."

Spike's eyes snapped to Buffy, mortified. "You're gonna what?!"

"Train her," Buffy restated. "She's disappointing, hardly worthy of Faith's replacement. Although I killed her pretty quickly…" She shrugged it off. "Anyway, this is how it works. You come here every other night, I train you, we beef your skills up and then come Graduation Day, we face off."

"What happens on Graduation day?" Marie asked, because the Scoobies had neglected to inform her of what was going on then.

"The Mayor ascends to this demon of sorts, I plan on helping out to keep him from leveling the town. I'm sure you can see why, he'd kill everything. I mean everything. So, do we have an agreement whatever your name is?"

"Marie," the Slayer before her corrected bravely. "I understand, but how can I trust that you will not kill me?"

"Look at it this way, if I wanted to kill you, you'd have died before this conversation was started." Buffy smiled sweetly. "Go to the library, find Giles, Willow, Angel…and tell them I'm coming in. We need to talk."

Marie nodded quickly and scampered on out of the factory. Drusilla clapped after her leave and meandered over to Buffy.

"What's happening next, then?" Spike asked.

"That's my little plan. Sorry Dru, I can't share this. I think you'll figure it out soon enough anyway."

Drusilla nodded solemnly. "You leave us for them."

"Right. Don't worry, it's only temporary and I promise I will be back. You see that, right?"

"I can't see, it's all blurry…promise you will be back?"

"Naturally. I couldn't stay away for too long, after I get better I'll start dropping in to let you know what I'm doing. Just whatever happens, remember I haven't switched sides. Not completely."

Part Five

Marie busted through the library doors, looking too panicked for her own good. Only Willow and Giles were present, researching of course.

"What's wrong?" Willow asked, rising from her chair.

"I've a message from Buffy," Marie said breathlessly. "She's a strange vampire…"

"I knew it! 'Cause of that time she saved Xander and me from Faith the other day…or was it last week? Anyway, she wanted to kill us and instead she killed her. It was nerve racking, we thought we were next on her list of things to annihilate but nope…She went off to go see her mom-oh sorry, I'm ranting…"

"It's okay," Marie nodded. "She was your friend, no? This is ve'y difficult for you, I would assume."

Giles came down from the stacks, stopping midway down the stairs to view Marie better. "What did Buffy have to say?"

The doors of the library swung open and Buffy walked on in, answering for Marie instead. "She says not to worry about Buffy's little evil streak, she's playing Benedict and coming back to the Gang."

"I'm sorry?" Giles stuttered.

"You're switching sides?" Willow questioned, none-too trusting of Buffy, even if she did save her life.

"I think I clarified that in the Benedict Arnold reference, yes. Does this pose as a problem? 'Cause you know, I can always go back to Spike and Dru, it's not like I'm any asset here…after all; you do have your very own new Slayer. And she's French, Frenchies are known for their bravery right?"

"Not really…" Willow winced and looked to Marie who was fuming. "That's not to say that Marie doesn't have that though, I mean all Slayers are pretty darn brave if you ask me." She decided to change topics…fast. "How come you're switching sides, Buffy?"

"I dunno…evil side gets too dull sometimes? Actually, I'm switching because of Marie. She's too wimpy, I'm gonna beef up her skills. Giles, you really need to work on the whole training thing with Wesley, the man-wait I'm sorry. The woman could use it herself."

"Are you proposing that you train Marie on Wesley's behalf?" Giles looked at Buffy suspiciously.

"On Wesley's behalf? Big no, this is for my well being, I need something to spend my time on other then you guys and Angel because frankly, she's a wuss." Buffy moved over to stand by Marie and examined her meek little stature. "How much training did you get exactly before they sent you out here?"

"I've been training for this since I was ten, I believe if you had trained harder per'aps you wouldn't be the vampire that you are now," Marie spoke bravely.

"Oh right, me killing the Master has nothing to do with the extensive training I've been through. Oh and sending Angelus to hell, that's a real easy thing to do. You do know who that is, right?"

Marie shifted around uncomfortably. "I do not know whom that is, I'm sorry to say. I have not been able to study as much as I'd like to because I have been busy with your kind a lot more often due to my new status."

"Oh yeah, blame it on the Slayer." Again, Buffy rolled her eyes. "I never really studied, that was what Giles was for if you asked me. I mean the Watcher's pretty useless if you have to study, don't you think Giles?"

"Ah…yes of course. So, you are now on our side?"

"Right, that's exactly what I'm saying. Makes sense, doesn't it?" Buffy tilted her head to the side, waiting for him to give an unnerved British-like response.

"Sort of," Willow spoke instead. "But I'm still stuck on the vampire helping the People for the Staking of Vampires Society. If you're a vampire, why would you wanna kill vampires?"

"Why does Angel wanna kill vampires?" Buffy retorted. "Oh right, he has a soul. Me, well, maybe there's still some of that Slayer left inside me that wants to do real good."

Giles gave this some thought. "There is an absence of the supposed second Slayer."

"There is only one, sir?" Marie asked.

"So maybe Buffy is right and there is some of the Slayer still inside her." Willow's eyes widened. "Oh! And that could have something to do with all your little crying spouts that Angel was talking about."

Buffy narrowed her eyes at Willow. "Angel told you about those? Some secret keeper he is…I guess he shared that little tidbit of me staying the night with him all the time, too?"

"No, actually, that was Marie who told us that."

Buffy eyed Marie. "Maybe I should just kill you too and then train the next Slayer that comes along. I mean after you all, you did try to kill me."

"I am sorry," Marie hung her head in shame. "I only do my duty as the Slayer, and what I am told."

"Basically you do what Wesley tells you too," Buffy nodded. "Where is the ninny anyway? Oh look, Spike's vocabulary is finally seeping into mine. Yay me…"

"It's just too much time hanging around with the evil British, they tend to influence you like that." Willow said with a grin.

"Yeah, yeah. Anyway, I'll be staying with Angel from here on out. My mom doesn't need a vampire in the house, she has galleries to run."

"What are you gonna do about feeding?" Willow asked.

"Feeding? Uh," Buffy scratched the back of her head and shrugged. "I hardly eat, I don't really get that hungry. I did feed off of Angel the other day, that I can deal with."

"Well, Angel did sire you. Maybe the Slayer inside you will not allow you to drink from anyone but the one who sired you." Giles thought aloud.

"Stop it already!" Buffy yelled.

Giles nearly fell off the steps. "What?"

"I'm sick of you people trying to analyze what's going on with me. You're like the freaking Science Community! Everything has to be labeled and explained why it does what it does! Just quit it, leave my situation unanswered okay?"

"Giles," Willow quietly said. "Maybe we should…we don't want to-" she started whispering. "Provoke her."

"Oh please, 'provoke' me? Willow, I'm a vampire." She gestured to her ears. "Just like Angel can hear you and Xander talking back in the stacks, I can hear you whisper to Giles. Look, I'm mad now. I'm gonna go home and relax, hopefully I'll be healed up within the hour."

Buffy turned on her heel in an angry fashion and strutted her way out of the library. Willow slumped down in her chair, relief sweeping over her.

"At least we know Angel can calm her down. Right?"

--

"What do you mean they're telling me what they're telling me for my own good?" Buffy yelled at Angel with a clenched fist or two.

"I'm just saying, it's not bad for you to hear from them. Things are different now because of…what I did, and-"

"Why look, he took responsibility for his actions. It's a miracle, he's finally admitted to his own actions, I'm so proud."

Angel bowed his head, gritting his teeth. "I'll admit to it for now, I know that I would never do th-"

"Sure you wouldn't. Look," Buffy dropped down on the couch next to Angel. "I honestly don't wanna argue right now, it's not healthy for a relationship. My parents argued all the time and it was quite traumatic for me. Really changes your outlook on future relationships. Did your parents argue?"

Angel opened his mouth half way, stumbling over her words. "They did, my mother…she stuck up for me. I always got her in trouble."

"You seem ashamed about it."

"I hurt her and Kathy, I was a drunken lout."

"Kathy?"

"My sister."

"What happened to her?"

"I killed her, too. When I became Angelus, I just wanted everyone in my household dead. Anything that reminded me of my father had to go…Kathy, well…"

"How hard were you on her? Did you torture her first?"

"No, I made her think I was alive…she let me in, and I made it quick. She and my mother were always so good to me. Tried to make me feel welcome, even though I was always out and about…coming on to the maids…"

"You were a big hit with the ladies in waiting I take it? You're such a bad man, do you think this makes me feel better about seeing you?"

"You think we're an item now?"

"Raar, shoot me down with your harsh evil words. I'm so hurt right now, I feel like this broken window with a clear view…"

"A clear view?"

"Yeah, your window may be broken but that doesn't mean you still can't see out of it."

"Is that so?"

Buffy nodded and rested her head on Angel's shoulder. "That's how my window is."

"Why do you say that?"

"Angel can you honestly look at me and say I'm stable?"

"You like getting deep in conversations now, don't you?"

"Comes with the demon," Buffy said with the faintest touch of a grin.

Epilogue

"So you're trying to tell me Buffy's normal again," Xander calmly said. "As in back to normal only she has a demon shacked up inside her that mysteriously wants to help the Cause?"

Willow gave an off-hand nod, flipping through one of the Watcher Diaries from the sixteenth century. "Uh huh."

"Well that's comforting," Cordelia scowled. "She'll try to kill us the minute we turn our backs on her you know."

"I would not be surprised if she did so," Marie replies softly. "She is an interesting girl, how well was she at the slaying?"

"Buffy was the best," Buffy said while strolling into the library with Angel on her arm. "She fought with her heart, all her gut instincts and passions. It kept her going, she didn't go by code or form…not like your kind."

Marie bowed her head, feeling lower then pond scum once more. "I am sorry my methods disappoint you, but I only go by what--"

"The Slayer Handbook says," Buffy interjected in her Giles voice interpretation. "Blah, blah, whatever. That's all gonna change, because you'll see you have to fight with all you can. It's not what you know -- it's instinct. What's imprinted in your mind at birth from the higher ups."

"Are you proposing that I forget all I've been taught?" Marie frowned at Buffy.

"That about covers it," Buffy smiled and dropped down into a chair by Xander.

Xander checked her clothing out, just to see if she was dressing normal again. She wasn't of course, although it was less risqué than what they were used to seeing. Leather pants, red tube top. He began to wonder if she got cold in those type of clothes.

"I'd put those eyes in a different place if I were you, Xander," Angel warned. He found himself to be very possessive of Buffy lately, partly because of her condition and partly because it gave him some peace of mind.

"Sorry man, but you should tell her to dress a little more school dress code-y."

"Do my outfits make you antsy, Xander?" Buffy gave him the most amused, normal-looking expression he'd ever seen in awhile.

"Only mildly," he replied sheepishly.

Buffy smirked and leaned over to Angel, "Do my outfits make you antsy?"

Angel thought about his response. "I think you know what makes me antsy."

Buffy giggled and looked over to Willow. "Gonna wake up from reading yet, Will?"

Willow looked tiredly at Buffy; shoulders slumped and bags under her eyes. "I've been up here all night looking up stuff."

"For?" Angel questioned.

"Nothing in particular, just some dates and when things might be occurring."

"Such as?" Buffy leaned back in her chair, glancing to Marie and actually smiled.

"You know, vampire holidays, more Sisterhood's of Zhie. That kind of thing."

Buffy wrinkled her nose in distaste. "Those blue things? Tell me there's not more coming."

"Probably not, just making the topic less broad. So, um, talked to Spike and Drusilla lately?"

"Not lately," Buffy's gaze drifted towards the book cage. "I'm up for some training, Marie you wanna train now?"

"I'm sorry?" Wesley walked out from Giles' office, Giles trailing behind. "I don't quite understand, what is going on?"

Xander looked at Wesley, forcing back a grin. "Language training, Wes. We're gonna show you ten steps to a less queer-talking you."

Wesley glared at him as well as Cordelia. "Enough of that now, Mr. Giles please explain."

"Buffy has returned to our side and is going to be training with Marie. Is there a problem?" Giles raised a "I dare you to ask another question" looking eyebrow.

"Ah, so she is on our side. Lovely, I wish you vampires would make up your minds. I must inform the Council."

"Don't you dare," Marie turned to view Wesley.

"I beg your pardon?" Wesley was at the counter, about to reach for the phone.

Buffy stood up, arms crossed over her chest. "I think Marie's implying that we want this operation hush-hush for now. The Council's not big on vampires helping out the community, am I right?"

"No, you're majorly left." Xander nodded, getting a giggle out of Willow and confused stare from the others. "Don't read Rhoad Dahl, don't get the funny."

"All right, fine, perhaps you are right. I have some resources I must retrieve from my apartment, excuse me and proceed with the training." Wesley sniffed and departed.

As Wesley left, Spike strolled through the door watching after Wesley with an eyebrow raised. "Stuffy old bugger, yes?"

"Spike?" Buffy stepped forward, eyes widened. "What are you doing here?"

"Dru sent me, said her daises needed some of mother's touch. So I asked her what the bloody hell that was -- 'course I didn't use the bloody, that's rude-- but she managed to tell me she wanted me to give you an old hand at the Slayer training. What I do for love." Spike shook his head at himself, disappointed.

"Well I haven't started yet, care to have a crack at it?" Buffy proposed.

"Hand to hand then?" Spike's answer came in the form of a nod from Marie. "All right then, let's go at it." He slipped his trenchcoat off and tossed it over the counter.

Giles decided his knees would last better if he sat down. He took off his glasses and looked wearily to Willow. "I'm afraid to say, your senior year has turned out much more intriguing than I'd like."

"And not all of us are even graduating anymore…" Her sad gaze drifted to Buffy. She was dictating some movements to try to Marie while Spike got some pointers from Angel. Although he did have to pry greatly and ask Buffy to urge Angel to get with the fun. "Nothing's safe anymore, everything fell apart so quick."

Buffy's sensitive hearing picked up on this, and though she didn't say anything is response, she walked over to Willow and gestured for her to stand. Willow, in confusion, did so and gave Buffy an all-the-more confused stare.

"What's wrong?"

Buffy pulled Willow in for a hug, giving no words to explain or herself or comfort Willow anymore and then let go. She smiled in reassurance and went back to the training session, leaving Willow staring after her in the most perplexed and frightened way.

"I don't think I can trust her ever again, Giles." Willow finally broke the silence.

He bowed his hand, not looking at anything on the table in particular. "I believe that's why Buffy came back, she lost our trust and she wants it back again."

Xander got in on the conversation. "It's Buff, our trust keeps her going."

Cordelia rolled her eyes. "I honestly don't care what she does, as long as it doesn't affect me."

"It always has to affect you before we have to make a stand," Xander sneered.

"Hey!" Cordelia was fuming. "Usually by the time it affects me is when the trouble starts!" An arrow planted itself on the part of the table right by Cordelia's chest. Cordelia screamed and jumped to her feet, pointing at the arrow furiously. "See!?"

Willow tilted her head to the side as she looked at Buffy holding the bow for which the arrow came from. "Or maybe I can start to trust her again."

Buffy grinned evilly to Cordelia and handed the bow over to Marie, "Let's try target practice."

Moment's later the line set in Cordelia's mind. "That's not funny!"

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